Cigar lighter



Sept. 13, 1938. J. slNKo 2,l29,791

CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Feb. 15, 195e Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGAR LIGHTER John Sinko, Chicago, Ill. Application February 15, 1936, Serial No. 64,151

l Claim.

This invention relates to cigar lighters and more particularly to electric lighters, adapted for use in automobiles, having a withdrawable igniter plug.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a cigar lighter of the wireless plug type having an improved socket member which may be readily attached to the instrument board of a car, and an improved internal switch and contacting means provided in the removable plug member.

Heretofore many of the lighters of this type have included somewhere in the circuit a loose sliding contact, but with the present invention two terminals of the removable member are normally in engagement with two terminals provided in the socket and the circuit is completed by a reliable butt contact within the plug. The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a socket for holding an igniter plug; Fig. 2, a 1ongitudinal sectional view of the igniter plug; Fig. 3, a sectional view taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a sectional view taken as indicated at line Il of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, an elevational view of the front end of the igniter plug.

In the embodiment illustrated, a socket member 6 may be in the form of a cup made of sheet metal or the like, and preferably is provided at its open end with an outwardly extending iange 'I adapted to abut against the marginal portions of a perforated panel 8 adapted to receive a bushing 9. Preferably, the bushing is provided with an outwardly extending harige I0 and has a threaded sleeve portion il adapted to engage the threaded portion l2 oi the open end portion of the socket. By this arrangement the socket may be secured to the instrument board of an automobile in a very simple manner.

The closed end-portion I3 of the socket-member serves to support a base terminal Ill in the form of a. bolt, upon which is mounted within the socket a fixed cup-like contacting member I5. The cup is insulated from the end-wall by means of an insulating washer i6, and the member I4 is provided outside of the wall I3 with an insulating washer Il and metallic washer I8, which are clamped together by means of a suitable nut I9. A lead wire 2l) connects the terminal to a battery or suitable source of current supply and is secured in position by means of a nut 2l. Ordinarily the panel 8 is -grounded so that the shell of the socket-member forms one (Cl. 219--3Z) terminal and, of course, in the present invention the other terminal is in the base.

As shown in Fig. 2, the withdrawable igniter plug comprises a knob 22 which makes a threaded connection with an insulating sleeve 23 to 5 which is connected a depressible heater unit 24 by means of a bushing 25. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a resilient contact ring 2B is provided within the sleeve 23 and has a fixed stud 21 which extends outwardly through the sleeve 23 to make a sliding electrical contact with the bushing 9. Diametrically opposed to the stud is another shorter projection 28 which extends into a recess 2Q provided in the insulating sleeve. In assembling the Contact ring the projection 28 may be applied before the ends of the ring are drawn together and the device slipped into place. Thereafter the stud 21 may be applied and riveted to the ring, as will be readily understood. The stud 2l and projection 28 prevent longitudinal movement of the ring with respect to the insulating sleeve and the resilience of the spring provides a simple and reliable support for the contacting stud.

The heating unit 24 is shown as a cup-shaped contacting member 30 which is insulated from a central terminal 3l by means of insulating washers 32 and 33 and rigidly secured to a cuplike slide-member 34 provided at its rear end with an outwardly extending ilange 35. The flange 35 is adapted to make a butt-contact with the ring 26 and also serves to hold the bushing 25 on the member 3d. A heating element of high resistance wire 36 has one end connected to the terminal 3l and is wrapped up in the form of a coil having its outer end connected to the cup- 30 as indicated at 3l. In order to urge the heating unit to a position out of contact with the ring 26, the knob 22 is provided with 'a stem 38 which supports at its front end a compression spring 39 adapted to abut against the inner end of the member 34. Preferably, the stem is provided with a groove di) in which is crimped a ring 4l which serves as a rear abutment for the spring. 45

To operate the device, the knob 22 is forced inwardly against the tension of the spring 39 and the flange 35 of the heating unit is brought into direct butt contact with the ring 2E. As one end of the heating element is already connected with the lead-in wire 2B through the contact between the cup 30 and Xed cup I5, and the ring 26 is contact with the other terminal provided by the bushing 9, connection between the flange 35 and ring 26 will complete the circuit and current will flow through the resistance element causing it to heat up to a desired temperature. The plug may then be withdrawn bodily from the socket and used to light a cigar, as will be readily understood.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claim should be construed as broadly as permissible in View of the prior art.

What I claim as Letters Patent is:

In a cigar lighter: an elongated socket member having a shell adapted to serve as one electrical terminal for an igniter plug and having a base terminal member insulated from said shell; and a Withdrawable igniter plug comprisnew and desire to secure by ing a hollow handle member, a Contact ring in said handle member having an outwardly extending stud yieldingly urged into electrical contact with said shell when the plug is inserted therein, a heating unit slidably mounted on said handle 'having a resistance element with one end normally in electrical connection with said base terminal and the other end provided with a contact adapted to be slid into electrical butt contact with said Contact ring, a coiled compression spring in said handle disposed so as to yieldingly urge said resistance element out of electrical contact with said contact ring, and a guide stem extending into said compression spring so as to hold the spring centered with respect to the handle.

JOHN SINKO. 

